HAKODATE, Japan (Reuters) – Bank of Japan board member Goushi Kataoka said on Wednesday the central bank must pre-emptively ease monetary policy to fend off risks to the country’s economic and price outlooks.
“When there is a distance between our price target and actual inflation, it’s important to respond pre-emptively instead of waiting until we confirm that the price trend has changed,” he said in a speech to business leaders in Hakodate, northern Japan.
Kataoka, a vocal advocate of aggressive monetary easing, has consistently voted against keeping policy steady. In July, he argued the BOJ should lower its short-term interest rate target. The proposal was not put to a vote.
(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
